James O'Brien gives his nuanced view on the anti-Israel protests at Eurovision | LBC

"I'm not sure they should have banned the Israeli entry, but I aIso think performing could do untold damage to their 'cause'... riddle me that."

James O'Brien ruminates as protest engulfs the Eurovision song contest. Israel's contestant Eden Golan was ordered to stay in her hotel room by her country's national security agency today as thousands protested her entry into the competition.

Protesters lined the streets in Malmo to demand that Ms Golan be removed from the renowned song competition, including climate activist Greta Thunberg.

Ms Thunberg, 21, joined a 'Stop Israel' demonstration in the centre of the city on Thursday, with protesters calling for an 'end to genocide'.

The demonstration came before Ms Golan's performance at the second semi-final of the competition this evening, which was met with cheers from the crowd after boos during her rehearsal.

It has since been confirmed that Ms Golan has reached the final.

The 20-year-old singer took to the stage on Thursday for the ballad Hurricane, which was reworked from a previous track called October Rain, believed to reference the October 7 Hamas attacks on Israel last year.

The song contest's host broadcaster said earlier today that it wouldn't censor the audience reaction.

Meanwhile, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu wished her luck, saying the 20-year-old representative was competing against an "ugly wave of anti-Semitism".

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